Choke elimination in textile cards



FIG. 3.

o. L. LANDERS CHOKE ELIMINATION IN TEXTILE CARDS Filed Aug. 17, 1966 May 20, 1969 S R E MW T NM. E VL W6 T O w /l). M

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,444,593 CHOKE ELIMINATION IN TEXTILE CARDS Otis L. Landers, Charlotte, N.C., assignor to Pneumafil Corporation, Charlotte, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 573,045 Int. Cl. D01g 15/80 US. Cl. 19107 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to the art of textile cards, and more particularly to improved means for eliminating the accumulation of chokes or fiber accumulation between the main cylinder and the doifer cylinder of the conventional textile card.

In the processing of textile fibers through a card, accumulations of foreign matter at various points on the card interfere with the quality of the textile material being produced, and interfere with the operation of the carding equipment, thus necessitating continuous maintenance and cleaning of the equipment. Suction cleaning equipment, such as disclosed in Griswold Patent 2,683,- 901, has been evolved, serving to minimize accumulations of undesirable foreign matter about the various parts of the card. Installations of cleaning equipment in accordance with the Griswold patent have proven advantageous in permitting a speed-up of carding operation. However, one point of the card which has never heretofore been satisfactorily cleaned is in the transfer area between the main cylinder and the doffer.

The doffer on the conventional card is covered with a doffer bonnet, and the side walls of the doifer are covered with shrouds, which serve to protect the carded fibers in their movement onto the doffer. As a result of the rotation of the main cylinder and the dolfer, air is compressed in the cusp between the main cylinder and the doffer, and there is a tendency of fibers to accumulate in this cusp, forming chokes. The elimination of these chokes has heretofore presented a problem. Utilization of air cleaning techniques, such as taught by the Griswold patent, has not been feasible because of the presence of the shrouds.

It is with the above considerations in mind that the present means, including both method and apparatus, have been evolved. The improved means according to the invention permit the elimination of chokes in a simple, effective, and economical fashion.

It is accordingly among the primary objects of this invention to provide means for the elimination of chokes on a textile card.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method for eliminating chokes on a conventional card.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple modification of the conventional card implementing choke elimination.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter apparent are achieved by modifying the conventional card to permit the establishment of an air 3,444,593 Patented May 20, 1969 stream in the vicinity of choke formation, with the air stream employed to entrain any chokes which are formed and permit their removal to a remote collection point. This is accomplished by cutting away the conventionally employed shroud at the sides of the doifer of the conventional card to expose the cusp between the main cylinder and the dolfer. Air flow is established in the vicinity of the cusp by arranging an air duct with an inlet adjacent the cusp in the vicinity where the shroud has been removed. This duct is connected to a suction source, and the air flowing through the duct establishes an entraining air stream in the vicinity of the cusp to carry away any choke accumulations.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the conventional card can be readily modified to permit choke elimination.

The specific details of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and their mode of functioning, will be made most mainfest, and will be described in clear, concise, and exact terms in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of the dolfer end of a textile card, showing in cross hatching the area of the conventional doffer shroud to be removed in practicing the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view looking at the dotfer, showing the suction duct in a preferred arrangement; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 2, showing the suction duct work position after the shroud has been cut away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be employed to designate like parts. In viewing the doffer ends of the card 10, the arch 21 and the card cylinder 11 are shown with the doifer end of the flats conveyor 12 and the flats cleaning brush 13, all of conventional arrangement. The dofler 15 is shown as conventionally formed with doifer bonnet 16 and shrouds 17.

In practicing the invention, the doifer bonnet 16 is removed, and the shrouds 17 also removed. The portion of the shrouds 20 shown in cross-hatching in FIG. 1 is then cut away, and filed, sanded, or ground smooth. Thereafter the shrouds are repositioned leaving an opening between the arch and the shroud, and the doffer bonnet again secured in operative orientation.

The suction duct 25, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, is extended across the dotfer bonnet 16, preferably behind bonnet flange 26. Suction duct 25 is connected to a suction source 27 of any one of a wide variety of types, such, for example, as a collector unit of the Pneumafil type. The suction duct 25 in the illustrated embodiment is formed with two downwardly extending intake spigots 29 and 30. Intake spigot 29 is coupled to suction duct 25 by means of elbow 31, while intake spigot 30 is coupled to suction duct 25 by T connection 32. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the dimensioning of the duct work is such as to provide relatively uniform suction pressures at the intake ends of spigots 29 and 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower ends of spigots 29 and 30 are shown as formed with intake nozzles 33 and 34, respectively, which are angled to establish a suction air stream in the vicinity of the cutaway portions of dolfer shroud 17 "ice Operation In use, the aforedescribed structural arrangement of the suction ducts serves to prevent the accumulation of fibers in the vicinity of the front end of the main cylinder screen of a textile card in the area of transfer of fibers from the main cylinder of the card to the dofier of the card.

As described, in practicing the invention, the conventional card is modified by cutting away a portion of the shroud immediately adjacent the transfer area between the main cylinder and the doifer in the area shown in cross-hatching in FIG. 1. Thereafter, by establishing a suction air stream in the vicinity of the cutaway portions of the shroud, the chokes normally accumulating during the carding operation are eliminated.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation, and not by way of limitation, and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preventing the accumulation of fibers in the vicinity of the front of the main cylinder screen of a textile card having a main cylinder and a doffer with a shroud at each end thereof and each abutting an adjacent arch at the end of the cylinder in the area of transfer of fibers from the main cylinder of the card to the dofifer f the card, said method comprising the steps of cutting away a portion of the shroud to form an opening between the shroud and the arch of the card at a point adjacent the point of tangency of the main cylinder and the dolfer; establishing an air stream in the vicinity of the cut shroud; entraining the foreign matter accumu- 4 lating between the main cyclinder and dolfer in said air stream; and directing the air stream along with the entrained material to a remote collection point.

2. In a carding engine having a main cylinder provided with an arch at each end thereof and a dofier, said dofier having a shroud covering each end thereof adjacent a respective arch, and extending close to the point of tangency of said doifer and main cylinder, means for eliminating the accumulation of undesired material between the main cylinder and doffer, said means comprising: at least one said dotfer shroud cutaway adjacent the area of tangency between the main cylinder and doffer thereby forming an opening between the arch and the shroud; and a suction duct having an inlet positioned adjacent said opening between the arch and said shroud whereby the undesired material is entrained in a suction air stream for removal.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 762,403 11/1956 Great Britain.

DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner. 

